Rock and roll horse



July 7, 1959 C. STANFORD ROCK AND ROLL HORSE Filed April 25, 1957 g Z uvv zvrox.

AT oRNEY United States Patent 9 ROCK AND ROLL HORSE.

Clarence Stanford, OkIahomaCity, kIa., assignor of fiffily percent to GeorgeE. Stubblefield, Oklahoma City,

Ap'pIication ApIiI-ZS,1957, Serial No. 655,081

7 Claims; (Cl. 280-1184) The. present 'inventionrelates to childrens -toys and more particularly to a rocking horse.

One-of the more popular rocking horse toys comprises axtoy horsev supported on a base frame :by four springs. This rocking horse is stationary, that is, it does not move relativeto the surfacesupporting the base-or-frame It is thereforethe principal object of the-present invention to provide a rocking horse mounted on a plurality of wheels and adapted to support the rocking horse in a'rno'bile manner asthe latter is-oscill'ated about a horizontal pivot point. 7

Another object is to provide a rocking horse which is actuated by the rider thereof'in alternately shifting the imposed-weight forwardly and rearwardl'y.

A further object of the=present invention is to-p-rov-ide a device of this class in whichthe same maybe propelled forwardly by the oscllating action of the toy horse about a horizontal axle.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by providing a toy horse body having a seat thereon adapted to sustain the weight of a rider.- A central supportingwheel having a horizontal axle pivotally supports a frame rigidly connected to the body of thehorse permitting forward and rearward oscillating movement of the toy horse. A front and two rear wheels support the respective front and rear legs of the toy horse by means of crankshafts connected to thefront and two rear wheels and pivotally connected to therespective front and rear legs of the toyhorse. Ratchet wheel means carried by each of the front and two rear wheels alternately drives the front and rear wheels as the body of the toy horse is oscillated about the hori- Zontalaxle.

Other objects will be apparent from thefollowing description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the device and illustrating, in dotted lines, the oscillating action thereof;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken substantially along line 22 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary rear and elevational view of the rear legs and rearwheels of the device;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front and elevational View of the front legs and front wheel of the device; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in cross section taken substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 illustrating the ratchet means of the front and two rear wheels.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral indicates, as a whole, an ornamental figure of a toy horse having a body 12 adapted to support the weight of a rider. The body 12 is further provided with a pair of front and rear legs 14 and 16, respectively. A suitable seat 18 is' provided on the upper surface of the body 12. A pair of foot rests 20, one'of which is"shown'in 'Figrl, projects laterallyfrom each side of the body IZ'interm'ediate the ends thereof and preferably forwardlyof the seat 18. The body 12 and legs Hand 16 may be formed of any suitable mate rial and of any desired configuration.- Figure 2 illustrates the body 12 as being formed of solid material-and somewhat ova'te in cross section, however this is by way of example only in that the bodyrnay be substantially hollow, if desired, to conserve materials andto substantially lighten the weight of the'device'.

A pair of depending supporting arms 22 are rigidly connected at their upper ends to opposing sides of the body 12intermediate the length thereofandpreferably adjacent its center of gravity. A central brace rod 24 is similarly connected to the under surface ofthe body 12 and is rigidly connected to each of the arms 22. The arms 22 and the rod 24-comprises' a supportingframe 25. A central or supporting wheel 26 is provided with a horizontal axle 28which' journals the depending ends'of the arms 22. The wheel 26 is aligned with the longitudi'nal axisof the body 12 for supporting the latter in a forward or rearward mobile manner. The length of the frame 25 and the diameter of the wheel 26 is preferably such that the body 12 may be pivoted or oscillated-about the axle 28 through aselected angular movementwithout the depending ends of legs Hand 16 contacting the common supporting surface indicated by the line 30.-

A front hollow disk wheel 32 is axially journaledto the throw 33 of a first crankshaft 34 which extends therethrough and journals, by its opposing ends, thedepending end portion of the front legs '14 on opposite sides of the wheel 32. The wheel 32 is thus di'sposedin' cooperative alignment with the'central wheel 26.-

A pair of hollow disk rear wheels 36 and 38 are axially journaled' in spaced-apart relation by the ends of a second crankshaft 40.- The throw 41 of the second crankshaft 40 journals the depending end portion of the rear legs 16 of the toy horse. Thus, the rear wheels 36 and '38 are disposed outwardly of the 'rear legs 16' and form, in co-operation with the center wheel 26 and front wheel 32, a tricycle-like base which supports the device 10in an upright manner. Diametrically the front wheel 32 and the rear wheels 36 and 38 are preferably substantially greater than the center wheel 26 so that the pivoting point of the respectivefront and rear legs 14 and 16 are spaced above the supporting surface 30" a distance substantially equal to the radius of the center wheel 26. This arrangement insures'sufficient clearance between the lowermost ends of the front 'and'rear legs and thsupporting surface 30 and provides a' spacing so that the throws 33 and 41 of the'respective crankshafts 34 and 40 may be of sufficient length so that the same, when acting as a lever arm, .Will rotate the front or fear wheels and the center wheel'26, as more fully explained hereinbelow.

Each of the front and rear wheels 32 and 36--38are axially provided with a toothed ratchet wheel '42 carried within the respective wheels which is rigidly'connected axially to that portion of the respectiveorankshaft which passes through these wheels. Thus, when either of the crankshafts'34 -or 40 are rotated the associatedratchet wheel 42 rotates independently of the wheel. A pawl 44 is pivotally carried by the disk-portion 47 of each of the front and rear wheels and contacts the teeth 46-of the ratchet wheel. A spring 48 urges the pawlagainst the teeth 46. While the ratchet means is shown as being disposed within the respective wheels, obviously it may be placed on the crankshaft on eitherside of the wheel.

Operation direction, as seen in Fig. 1.

the crankshaft 4i) is rotated downwardly in a counter does not engage the pawl 44 which ratchets against the teeth 46. When the body 12 of the toy horse has been positioned at or near the position as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, the rider imposes his weight forwardly,

as by hearing against the foot rests 20, thus rotating the forward crankshaft 34 in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Fig. l, engaging the ratchet teeth 46 with the pawl 44 and propelling the front wheel 32 forwardly, thus moving the device forwardly. During this action the rear crankshaft 40 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 1, while the ratchet wheel 42 and pawl 44 perform a similar function, as described hereinabove, for the front wheel. Thus alternate shifting of the weight of the rider oscillates the body 12 of the toy horse forwardly and rearwardly about the horizontal axle 28 and the action of the crankshafts 34 and 40 in co-operation i with the ratchet wheels 42 propels the device across a supporting surface 30.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A rocking horse, including: a supporting wheel having a horizontal axle; a body adapted to support the weight of a rider; supporting arms rigidly connected at one of their ends to said body adjacent its center of gravity and pivotally connected at their opposite ends to the ends of said supporting wheel axle for rocking movement of said horse; a front wheel and two rear wheels for supporting the respective front and rear legs of said horse; a first crankshaft having said two rear Wheels mounted on the ends thereof for rotation therewith, said crankshaft having a throw intermediate its ends, said throw of said first crankshaft journaling thereon the depending ends of the rear legs of said horse; a second crankshaft having a throw intermediate its ends, said throw having said front wheel journaled thereon, the ends of said second crankshaft journaling the depending ends of the front legs of said horse; and ratchet means carried by the axle of each of said front and rear wheels permitting oscillating movement of said horse about the axis of said supporting wheel.

2. A rocking horse, including: a body adapted to support the weight of a rider; depending supporting arms rigidly connected to said body adjacent its center of gravity; a supporting wheel having a horizontal axle journaling the depending ends of said supporting arms on opposing sides of said wheel for permitting oscillating movement of said horse about said axle; a front wheel and two rear wheels for supporting the respective front and rear legs of said horse; a first crankshaft having said two rear wheels mounted on the ends thereof for rotation therewith, said crankshaft having a throw intermediate its ends, said throw of said first crankshaft journaling the depending ends of the rear legs of said horse; a second crankshaft having a throw intermediate its ends, said throw having said front wheel journaled thereon, the ends of said second crankshaft journaling thereon the depending ends of the front legs of said horse; and ratchet means carried by the axle of each of the said front and rear wheel for permitting oscillating movement of said horse about the axis of saidsupporting wheeL- 3. A rocking horse, including: a body having a seat thereon, the body of said horse adapted. to sustain the 2,sss,74s a weight of a rider; depending supporting arms connected to said body adjacent its center of gravity; a supporting Wheel having a horizontal axle journaling the depending ends of said supporting arms on opposing sides of said wheel for permitting oscillating movement of said body about said axle; a front wheel and two rear wheels for supporting the respective front and rear legs of said horse for propulsion thereof; a first crankshaft having said two rear wheels mounted on the ends thereof for rotation therewith, said first crankshaft having a throw intermediate its ends, said throw of said first crankshaft journaling thereon the depending ends of the rear legs of said horse; a second crankshaft havin said front wheel journaled by the throw thereof, the ends of said second crankshaft journaling thereon the depending ends of the front legs of said horse; and ratchet means carried by the axle of each of said front and said rear wheels whereby alternate forward and rearward imposition of the weight of a rider with respect to the body of said horse permits and forces said first and second crankshafts through a portion of a revolution in opposite directions simultaneously and oscillates the body of said horse about the axle of said supporting wheel.

4. Structure as specified in claim 3 in which the ratchet means includes a toothed ratchet wheel carried by the respective axle of said front and two rear wheels; and a spring urged pawl carried by each of said front and said two rear wheels engaged with the teeth of each of said ratchet wheels.

5. A rocking horse, including: a body having a seat provided thereon, said body adapted to sustain the weight of a rider; supporting arms connected to said body adjacent its center of. gravity; a central supporting wheel having a horizontal axle journaling the depending ends of said supporting arms on opposing sides of said center wheel for permitting oscillating movement of said body about said horizontal axle; a front ratcheting wheel and two rear ratcheting wheels for supporting the respective frontand rear legs of said horse for propulsion thereof; a first crankshaft having said two rear ratchet wheels mounted on the ends thereof for rotation therewith, said first crankshaft having a throw intermediate its ends, said throw of said first crankshaft journaling the depending ends of the rear legs of said horse; a second crankshaft having a throw intermediate its ends, and having said front ratchet wheel journaled by the throw thereof, the ends of said second crankshaft journaling the depending ends of the front legs of said horse, whereby alternate forward and rearward imposition of the weight of a rider with respect to the body of said horse forces said first and said second crankshafts through a portion of a revolution in opposite directions simultaneously and oscillates the body of said horse about the axle of said center wheel and thereby propels the same.

6. A rocking horse, including: a body having a seat provided thereon, said body adapted to sustain the weight of a rider; a depending frame rigidly connected to the central portion of said body; a central supporting wheel having a horizontal axle journaling the depending end of said frame on opposing sides of said central wheel for permitting oscillating movement of said horse about said axle; a front wheel and two rear wheels for supporting the respective front and rear legs of said horse for propulsion thereof; a first crankshaft having said two rear wheels mounted on the two respective ends thereof for rotation with said first crankshaft, said crankshaft having a throw intermediate its ends, said throw of said first crankshaft journaling the depending ends of the rear legs of said horse; a second crankshaft having a throw intermediate its ends, and having said front wheel journaled by the throw thereof, the ends of said second crankshaft journaling the depending ends of the front legs of said horse; foot rests intermediate the length of the body of said horse; and ratchet means carried by the axle of each of said front wheel and said rear wheels, whereby alternate forward and rearward imposition of the Weight 5 of a rider with respect to the body of said horse forces said first and said second crankshafts through a portion of a revolution in opposite directions simultaneously and oscillates the body of said horse about the axle of said center supporting wheel imparting rotation to the latter.

7. Structure as specified in claim 6 in which the ratchet means includes a toothed ratchet wheel carried by the respective axle of said front wheel and said two rear wheels; and a spring urged pawl carried by each of said front wheel and said two rear wheels engaging with the teeth of each of said ratchet wheels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

